Chess game apparatus

ABSTRACT

Game apparatus comprising a board and player pieces are provided whereby each of three players may simultaneously compete against the other two. The board is in the shape of a six-sided polygon of which three relatively long sides alternate with three relatively short sides. The face of the board is divided into 141 hexagons of three colors, there being 47 hexagons of each color, no two adjacent hexagons being of the same color. Used with the board are three sets of 18 player pieces, each set including 4 pawns and 14 major pieces.

O Umted States Patent 1191 [1 11 3,744,797 Hopkins 1 July 10, 1973 CHESS GAME APPARATUS 495,994 11/1938 Great Britain 273 131 AB 1,092,860 11/1967 Great Britain 273 131 AB [761 lnvenmr- Mark 88, 2,902 0/1908 Great Britain 273/131 AB Wallpack Center, 616,572 1/1949 Great Britain 273/131 AB [22] Filed: Nov. 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 197,262 Primary ExaminerDelbert B. Lowe [52] US. Cl. 273/131 AB, 273/131 F, 273/131 L, 273/131 KN [51] Int. Cl. A631 3/02 [58] Field of Search 273/131 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 104,379 6/1870 Vander Wcyde 273/ 131 AB 259,695 6/1882 Kingwill 273/131 F 521,737 6/1894 Smith 273/131 AB 3,533,627 l0/1970 Deffenbaugh et a1 273/131 L D217,974 7/1970 Deitch 273/131 K UX 1,339,013 5/1920 Bennett 273/131 AB 3,652,091 3/1972 Zubrin 273/131 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 24,644 12/1893 Great Britain 273/ 131 L Attorney- Lawrence 1. Lerner, Burton Rodney et al.

[5 7 ABSTRACT Game apparatus comprising a board and player pieces are provided whereby each of three players may simultaneously compete against the other two.

The board is in the shape of a six-sided polygon of which three relatively long sides alternate with three relatively short sides. The face of the board is divided into 141 hexagons of three colors, there being 47 hexagons of each color, no two adjacent hexagons being of the same color. Used with the board are three sets of 18 player pieces, each set including 4 pawns and 14 major pieces.

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure PAIENIEuJuumm 3, 744,797

ggggg CHESS GAME APPARATUS The object of this game is to be the last of the three players capable, according to the rules of play, of moving ones playing pieces.

The drawing submitted in conjunction with this specification is a representation of the playing board on which the game is conducted, marked with numerals to identify the positions of the playing pieces at the opening of the game.

The playing board is constructed of rows of regular hexagons laid side-by-side to create a matrix resembling a honeycomb. The hexagons are then filled in with three distinct colors in such a way that no two adjacent hexagons are of the same color. This results in three symmetrical, interlocking systems of hexagons. The shape of the board is that of an equilateral triangle with its vertices chopped off; thus there are three long sides and three short sides, alternating around the edge of the board. The long sides contain ten hexagons each, and the short sides contain five hexagons each, with the inside angles at the corners measuring 120. The total number of hexagons (hereinafter referred to as spaces) within the playing board is 141, so there are 47 spaces of each color.

On the playing board there are twelve directions of movement brought about by the six distinct directions in which regular rows of spaces occur. For example, starting at a space near the center of the board rows of adjacent spaces can be seen radiating outward in six directions; these rows, which contain spaces of all three colors, shall be known as ROWS. Thirty degrees on either side of the ROWS, chains of similarly colored spaces can be seen radiating outward from an example space, also in six directions. These chains of spaces shall be known as the DIAGONALS.

The game begins with one player positioned at each of the shorter edges of the board (it will be convenient, for the sake of examples, to label them A, B, and C). Directly before each player is a formation of eighteen playing pieces to be moved according to the rules applying to each piece. The opening move may be made by any of the three players and rotation may be in either direction, but once this is determined no player may make a move out of turn. All playing pieces will be described in their positions at the opening of the game.

The pieces positioned at the center of each of the shortest ROWS (spaces III) are called the Kings. Except for castling, the Kings remain completely stationary. The Kings are the object of ultimate attack in this game, for, although they may not be removed from the board (captured), if a player is unable to ward off an attack on his King, then he may make no other moves (unless the attack is withdrawn). When a King is threatened with capture (a move which will never actually be executed) the situation is termed check and the player making the attack must state, Check." If the player whose King is being attacked is unable to eliminate the threat upon his King, within one move, by the rules of play, then the situation is termed checkmate; this, too, must be stated verbally. While a player is in checkmate none of his pieces may be moved. Although the King may not move (except for castling, which is described below), he is capable of capturing hostile pieces. If a hostile piece ventures into an unprotected space which is only one space away from a King (either on the ROWS or DIAGONALS), then, as soon as it is placed on that space, it is removed from the board. Protection may come from either of the hostile forces, and it merely means that there is some other piece capable of moving into the protected space within one move.

The pieces adjacent to the Kings, on their right in the same ROW (spaces IV) are called the Queens. The Queens may move in all twelve directions (on the ROWS or DIAGONALS)with no limit to the distance they may traverse. However, they may not jump over a piece blocking the path (this rule applies to all pieces, except the Jester see below). The Queen executes a capture by moving to a space occupied by a hostile piece (another players piece) and removing it from the board (this rule applies to all pieces except the Kings see above, and the Priests see below). The process of capturing must be carried on within the limits of the rules of normal movement (this rule applies to all pieces except the Princes see below, and the Pawns see below).

The pieces adjacent to the Kings, on their left in the same ROW (Spaces II) are called the Princes. The Princes may move in all twelve directions (the ROWS or DIAGONALS). The move is executed by advancing two spaces in a particular direction, then shifting the direction of movement and advancing one more space. Since there is no real path, their moves may not be blocked. Princes execute a capture ONLY within a radius of one space on the ROWS or DIAGONALS, so their normal move may not be to an occupied space.

The pieces directly in front of the Kings, one space away on the DIAGONALS (spaces XV) are called the Jesters. The Jesters may move in two directions only: straight forward, away from the player, or straight backward, toward the player; so a Jester will never leave the DIAGONAL row of spaces which begins with the King's original position and goes forward to divide the board into two symmetrical halves. The Jesters have the unique ability to jump over any piece(s) in their paths, so that they retain complete control of their respective rows for as long as they are on the board. The portions of the Jesters paths which are beyond the center point of the board create dividing lines between the players, and section off the playing board into three equal parts. The third of the board nearest each player is considered his empire (bounded by, but not including, the opponents Jesters paths).

The pieces occupying the spaces directly between the Jesters and the Queens (spaces lX) are called the Emperors. The Emperors move in only the six directions formed by the DIAGONALS, and the only limit to the distance of their moves is that they cannot pass through the boundaries of their respective empires.

The pieces occupying the spaces directly between the Jesters and the Princes (spaces Vlll) are called the Empresses. The Empresses may move in only the six directions formed by the ROWS, and the only limit to the distance of their moves is that they cannot pass through the boundaries of their respective empires.

The pieces positioned to the left of the Empresses and to the right of the Emperors, in the same ROW (spaces VII and X), are called the Knights. The Knights move in the fashion of the Princes (i.e., advancing two spaces in some direction, then shifting that direction 60 and advancing one more space) except that they are limited to the six directions fonned by the ROWS.

The pieces positioned on the outer spaces of the same ROW as the Knights (spaces VI and XI) are called the Bishops. The Bishops move an unlimited distance in the six directions formed by the ROWS.

The pieces positioned on the outer spaces of the Kings ROW (spaces I and V) are called the Castles (or Rooks). They move an unlimited distance in the six directions formed by the DIAGONALS. The one move which a King is allowed to make during the game involves the Castles. Providing that there is no piece in between the King and the Castle with which the move will be made, and also that said Castle has not been moved earlier in the game, castling may be carried out. The way castling is executed is by moving the King to the Castles position, and moving the Castle out one space in the same ROW (the Kings ROW). Castling is considered one move.

The pieces positioned in the foremost position of the Rook-Bishop ROW (spaces XII and XVIII) are called the Priests. The Priests move an unlimited distance in the six directions formed by the DIAGONALS. The Priests are unique in that they can neither capture any other piece, nor, themselves, be captured. They serve solely as obstructions to the movements of the other players.

The pieces positioned in all the spaces between the Jesters and the Priests (spaces XIII, XIV, XVI, and

XVII) are called the Pawns. On the first move of any particular Pawn thereis an option to advance one space straight ahead on the DIAGONAL, parallel to his Jesters path. A capture may not be carried out on such a move. At all other times Pawns have four spaces to which they may move. These are all of the adjacent spaces (adjacent on the ROWS, only) except for the two which would take the piece in the directionof his Kings ROW (backwards). Thus a Pawn may move'one space on the ROW, either forward or sideways. A Pawn may capture only to the two spaces which take him forward, and may not capture to the sides (relative to his Kings ROW). If a Pawn should traverse the entire length of the playing board so that he reaches the last ROW parallel to his Kings ROW, then he gains the power to be replaced by one of his Kings pieces which has been captured earlier in the game.

Thus the formation of pieces in front of each player at the opening of the game looks like this:

Priest Pawn Pawn Jester Pawn Pawn Priest Bishop Knight Empress Emperor Knight Bishop Rook Prince King Queen Rook I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a playing board having the peripheral configuration shown on the drawing and having on its playing surface the checkered game pattern shown on the drawing, which consists of three kinds of playing area indicia, and in combination with said board three distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each set consisting of four pawns (P) and fourteen major pieces (M). 

1. A game apparatus comprising a playing board having the peripheral configuration shown on the drawing and having on its playing surface the checkered game pattern shown on the drawing, which consists of three kinds of playing area indicia, and in combination with said board three distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each set consisting of four pawns (P) and fourteen major pieces (M). 